MarginaliaAnno. 1558. December. Marche.she was with the forenamed Iohn Rough caried vnto Newgate. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Iohn Rough & Margaret Mearing, in Smithfield. Anno. 1557. December. 22.From whence they were bothe together led vnto Smithfielde, the. xxij. daie of the same monethe of December, and there moste ioyfully gaue their liues for the profession of Christes Gospell.

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MarginaliaA note of Margaret Mearing.When the latter ende of this historie of Maister Rough, and Margaret Mearyng was in finishyng, there came to our hādes one necessarie thing of the said Margaret Mearyng, whiche wee thought not good to omit.  

The matter is this. Maister Rough beyng chief Pastor to the congregation in the saied tyme of quene Mary, as before ye haue heard (of whiche companie this Margaret Mearyng was one) did not well like the said Margaret, but greatly suspected her, as many other of them did besides, because she would oftē tymes bryng in straungers emong them, and in her talke seemed (as they thought) somewhat to busie. &c, Nowe, what they sawe or vnderstoode further in her, we know not, but this followed the euill suspition conceiued of her. Maister Rough the Fridaie before he was taken, in the open face of the congregation, did excommunicate her out of the same companie: and so seemed with the reste to exclude, and cut her of from their felowship and societie. Whereat she beeyng moued, did not well take it, nor in good parte, but thought her self not indifferently handled among them. Whereupon to one of her freindes in a heate, she threatened to remoue them all. But the prouidence of God was otherwise. For the Sondaie after Maister Rough beyng taken by the information of one Roger, Sergeaunt to the Bishop of London (as hereafter thou shalt heare) was laied prisoner in the gatehouse at Westminster, where none of his frēdes could come to hym to visite hym. Then this saied Margaret hearyng thereof, got her a basket, and a cleane shirt in it, and went to Westminster, MarginaliaMargaret Mearyng releeueth Maister Rough in prison.where she fainyng her self to be his sister, got into þ^e prisō to him, and did there to her power not a little comfort hym.

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Then commyng abroade again, she vnderstandyng that the Congregation suspected the saied Seargeaunt to be his promoter, went to his house, and asked whether Iudas dwelte not there. Vnto whom aunswere was made, there dwelte no suche. No, saied she? Dwelleth not Iudas here that betraied Christe? His name is Sargeaunte. When she sawe she could not speake with hym, she wente her waie. So the Fridaie after, she standyng at Marke lane ende in London, with an other woman, a freinde of hers, sawe Cluney Boners Somner, commyng in the streate towardes her house. Whom when she sawe, she saied to the other woman standyng with her: whether goeth yonder fine fellowe saied she? I thinke surely he goeth to my house: & in viewyng hym still, at the laste she sawe hym enter in at her doore. MarginaliaThe takyng of Margaret Mearyng, Martyr.So immediately she went home, and asked hym whom he sought. Whereunto Cluney made aunswere and saied, for you: ye muste goe with me. Mary, quod she, here I am: I will goe with you, and commyng to the Bishop, she was laied in prison, and the Wednesdaie after burnt with Maister Rough in Smithfield, as ye haue heard.

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MarginaliaAnno. 1558.MarginaliaThe storie and cruell handelyng of Cutbert Simson, Deacon and Martyr. March. 28.NExte after the Martyrdome of M. Rough, minister of the Congregation, aboue mentioned, succeded in the like Martyrdome the Deacon also of that saied godlie companie or Congregation in London, named Cutbert Simson, beyng committed to the fire, the yere of our Lorde. 1558. the xxviij. daie of Marche.

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This Cutbert Simson was a man of a faithfull, and zealous harte to Christe and his true flocke, in so muche that he neuer ceased labouryng, and studiyng most earnestly, not onely how to preserue them without corruption of the Popishe Religion, but also his care was euer vigilante, howe to keepe them together without perill, or daunger of persecution. The paines, trauaile, zeale, pacience, and fidelitie of this man, in caryng and prouidyng for this Congregation, as it is not lightly to be expressed: so is it wonderfull to behold the prouidence of the Lorde by vision, concernyng the

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troubles of this faithfull minister, and godlie Deacō, as in this here followyng maie appeare.

MarginaliaThe visions sent to Gods Sainctes concernyng their afflictions.The Fridaie at night before Maister Rough Minister of the Congregation (of whom mention is made before) was taken, beyng in his bed he dreamed, that he sawe two of the Gard leading Cutbert Simson Deacon of the said congregation, and that he had the booke about hym, wherein were written the names of al them whiche were of the Congregation. Whereupon beyng sore troubled, he awaked, and called his wife, saiyng: Kate strike light: For I am muche troubled with my brother Cutbert this night. When she had so doen, he gaue hym self to read in his booke a while, and then felyng slepe to come vpon hym, he put out the candle, and so gaue hym self again to reste. Beyng a slepe, he dreamed the like dreame againe: and awaked therewith, he saied: O Kate, my brother Cutbert is gone. So they lighted a candle againe and rose. And as the said Master Rough was makyng hym ready to goe to Cutbert to see how he did, in the meane tyme the saied Cutbert came in with the booke, conteinyng the names and accomptes of the Congregation. Whom when Maister Rough had seen, he saied: brother Cutbert, ye are welcome, for I haue ben sore troubled with you this night, and so tolde hym his dreame. After he had so doen, he willed hym to laie the booke awaie from hym, and to cary it no more about hym. Vnto whiche Cutbert aunswered, he would not so doe: for dreames he saied, were but phantasies, and not to be credited. Then Maister Rough straightly charged him in the name of the lorde to doe it. Whereupon the saied Cutbert tooke suche notes out of the booke, as he had willed hym to do, and immediatly left the booke with M. Roughes wife.

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The next daie followyng, in the night, the said M. Rough had an other dreame in his sleepe, concernyng his owne trouble. The matter wherof was this. Hee thought in his dreame that he was caried hym self forceably to the Bishop, and that the Bishoppe pluckt of his beard, and cast it into the fire, saiyng these wordes: Nowe I maie saie, I haue had a peece of an hereticke burned in my house, and so accordyng it came to passe.

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Now to returne to Cutbert again, as we haue touched somethyng concernyng these visions, so nowe remaineth to storie also of his paines & sufferynges vpō the racke, and otherwise like a good Laurence for the congregations sake, as he wrote it with his own hand.  

MarginaliaA letter of Cutbert Simson, to certaine of his frendes.ON the Thursdaie, after I was called vnto the warehouse, before the Cōstable of the Tower and the Recorder of London Maister Cholmley, they commaunded me to tell, whom I did will to come to the Englishe Seruice. I aunswered I would declare nothyng. Whereupon I was sette in a racke of Iron, the space of thre howers, as I iudged. Then they asked me if I would tell them. I aunswered as before. Then was I loosed, & caried to my lodging again. On the Sondaie after, I was brought into the same place again, before the Lieutenant, and the Recorder of Lōdon, and they examined me. As before I had saied, I aunswered. Then the Lieutenaunt did sweare by God I should tell. Then did they binde my twoo forefingers together, and put a small arrowe betwixt them, and drewe it through so fast that the bloud followed, and the arrowe brake. Then they racked me twise. Then I was caried to my lodgyng again: and x. daies after the Lieutenaunt asked me if I would not confesse that, whiche before they had asked me. I saied I had saied as muche as I would. Then fiue weekes after, he sent me vnto þ^e high priest, where I was greatly assaulted, and at whose hande I receiued the Popes curse, for bearyng witnesse of the resurrection of Iesus Christe. And thus I commende you vnto God, and to the woorde of his grace, with all them that vnfainedlie call vpon the name of Iesus, desiryng God of his endlesse mercie, through the merites of his deare sonne Iesus Christ, to bryng vs all to his euerlastyng kyngdome, Amen. I praise God for his great mercie shewed vpō vs. Sing Osāna vnto the highest w^t me Cutbert Simson, God forgiue me my synnes. I aske all the worlde forgiuenesse, and I doe forgiue all the world, and thus I leaue this worlde, in hope of a ioyfull resurrection.

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If any be disposed to se the depositions, whiche the cruell Papistes did extort out of poore and ignoraunt